Typewriter ribbon arrangement having interchangeable ribbon loadable cartridges with attached movable ribbon lifters

ABSTRACT

A typewriter ribbon arrangement has upper and lower portions which are supported on a carriage for movement with a single element printer. The upper portion contains the supply of ribbon and is removably attachable to the lower portion which is fixedly mounted on the carriage and has separate drive mechanisms for use with an upper portion having a cloth ribbon or an upper portion having a carbon ribbon. Each upper portion carries a pivotally supported ribbon lifter so they may be interchangeably attached to the lower portion without further threading. The upper portion for a cloth ribbon has spool-supporting spindles which are drivingly coupled to an indexing ratchet wheel drive mounted in the lower portion, and the upper portion additionally carries a pair of drag levers for keeping the ribbon taut and a pair of tension arms for sensing the tautness of the ribbon to operate a ribbon reversing means mounted in the lower portion when a spool carried by a spindle becomes fully wound.

United States Patent 11 1 Hengelhaupt 1 1 TYPEWRITER RIBBON ARRANGEMENT HAVING I'NTERCI-IANGEABLE RIBBON LOADABLE CARTRIDGES WITH ATTACHED MOVABLE RIBBON LIFI'ERS [75} Inventor: Hans-Georg Hengelhaupt,

Nuernberg, Germany [731 Assignees Triumph Werke Nurnberg A.G.,

Nuremberg, Germany [22] Filed: July 25, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 382,508

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Aug. 9, 1972 Germany 1. 2239116 [52] US. Cl. [97/151; 197/157; 197/162 [51] Int. Cl. 841.] 33/14 [58] Field of Search [97/151, 157,158, 159, 197/160,161, 162,163,164, 165,168,170, 153 A, 153 R [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 785,709 3/1905 Burridge 1. 197/168 1,059,522 4/1913 Bordt 1 1 3 6 197/151 X 1,761,529 6/1930 Long 1 1 1 .1 197/157 UX 2,902,136 9 1959 Whippo 197/165 3,171,530 3/1965 ODaniel et :11, 11 197/151 3,346,090 10/1967 Goff ct a1 1 1 197/158 3,349,888 10/1967 Page 1 1 1 1. 197/151 X 3,513,957 5/1970 Ricciardi ct a1. 197/151 IOQR 1451 Sept. 9, 1975 Primary Examiner-Ernest T. Wright, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Joseph R. Spalla [5 7] ABSTRACT A typewriter ribbon arrangement has upper and lower portions which are supported on a carriage for movement with a single element printer. The upper portion contains the supply of ribbon and is removably attachable to the lower portion which is fixedly mounted on the carriage and has separate drive mechanisms for use with an upper portion having a cloth ribbon or an upper portion having a carbon ribbon. Each upper portion carries a pivotally supported ribbon lifter so they may be interchangeably attached to the lower portion without further threading, The upper portion for a cloth ribbon has spool-supporting spindles which are drivingly coupled to an indexing ratchet wheel drive mounted in the lower portion, and the upper portion additionally carries a pair of drag levers for keeping the ribbon taut and a pair of tension arms for sensing the tautness of the ribbon to operate a ribbon reversing means mounted in the lower portion when a spool carried by a spindle becomes fully wound.

4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTED SEP 9 I975 sum 1 o 2 PATENTED SEP 9 i975 sum 2 0F 2 TYPEWRITER RIBBON ARRANGEMENT HAVING INTERCHANGEABLE RIBBON LOADABLE CARTRIDGES WITH ATTACHED MOVABLE RIBBON LIFTERS This invention relates to a ribbon arrangement for a single element typewriter or other printing machine, and more particularly to a ribbon lifting and feeding arrangement for a typewriter utilizing different types of ribbons in removable ribbon cartridges.

In a typewriter or similar business machine, printing is effected by operating a type key action to place a ribbon at a printing location adjacent a recording medium supported on a platen and then impact a print element against the ribbon and recording medium. In a typical single element typewriter, the print element is supported on a carriage for movement along the platen to print a line of type, and the ribbon is also supported on the carriage for movement with the print element. As is conventional, the ribbon is carried in a ribbon fork, and with each printing operation the ribbon is advanced through the ribbon fork by an incremental length and the ribbon fork is moved from a rest position to a printing position to place the ribbon adjacent the recording medium prior to the impacting of the print elment. Subsequently, the ribbon is returned to the rest position.

Oftentimes it is desirable to selectively use different types of ribbons in a typewriter, for example a cloth ribbon and a carbon ribbon. However, such ribbons are typically advanced through the ribbon fork with different ribbon feeding movements. A cloth ribbon is usually secured between a pair of spools and advanced through the ribbon fork by winding onto one of the spools until it is full, whereupon the winding movement is reversed to wind the ribbon on the other spool, and the reversal of the winding movement continues until the ribbon is replaced by an operator. Unlike a cloth ribbon, a carbon ribbon is non-reusable and fed only once through the ribbon fork by winding the ribbon from a supply spool to a take-up spool for later disposal. However, to achieve greater utilization of a carbon ribbon, the ribbon may be advanced through the ribbon fork at a rate slower than a cloth ribbon, and the ribbon may be moved to successively different levels at the printing location to enable closely adjacent yet different portions of the ribbon to be impacted by the print element.

To facilitate the changing of ribbons in a typewriter, the ribbon mechanism is sometimes arranged in separable upper and lower parts with the ribbon and associated spools being disposed in the upper part which serves as a cartridge for attachment to the lower part which is mounted on the carriage for movement with the print element and includes the drive mechanism for moving the ribbon. Such an arrangement is shown, for example, in German Disclosure No. 1,61 L468 corresponding to US. Pat. No. 3,513,957 wherein the ribbon spools are mounted in a cartridge which has a fixed ribbon guide and is open at the bottom to facilitate the changing of the ribbon. However, the ribbon is moved to and from the printing position only by raising and lowering the entire ribbon mechanism, and the movement of such a large mass is undesirable in the operation of a high speed printer.

Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a ribbon arrangement for a typewriter wherein different types of ribbons may be placed in correspondingly different cartridges which are interchangeably attachable to a drive arrangement in the typewriter without necessitating further threading of the ribbon nor the movement of the entire ribbon arrangement with each printing operation.

Still other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a partial rear elevational view of a ribbon arrangement constructed in accordance with the present invention wherein an upper portion for a cloth ribbon is selectively coupled to a drive mechanism of the lower portion;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the ribbon arrangement of FIG. 1 and illustrating the upper portion for a cloth ribbon separated from the corresponding drive mechanism of the lower portion; and

FIG. 3 is a partial side view of the ribbon arrangement of FIG. 1 and illustrating an upper portion for a carbon ribbon which is selectively coupled to a corresponding drive mechanism of the lower portion.

Referring now in detail to the figures in the drawing, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a typewriter ribbon arrangement, generally indicated 1 l, which is operated with each actuation of a type key action, not shown, for advancing a ribbon and moving it to a printing location adjacent a platen, not shown, prior to the impacting of a print element, not shown, to enable a recording medium, not shown, which is supported on the platen to be marked by the print element. As is conventional, the ribbon may be secured at each end to a pair of spools, not shown, and an intermediate portion of the ribbon may be carried in a ribbon liftin g member generally indicated 13 of the ribbon arrangement 1] which is mounted on a carriage, not shown, with the print element for movement along the platen to print a line of type. The ribbon lifting member 13 is normally biased downwardly to a rest position and the ribbon arrangement 11 includes drive means, generally indicated 15, which operate in response to the actuation of a type key action for moving the ribbon lifting member 13 to an elevated position to place the ribbon at the printing location. In addition, the ribbon is acted upon by a ribbon feed arrangement, generally indicated 17, for advancing the ribbon through the ribbon lifting member 13 as will be explained below. The platen, the print element, and the type action as well as other parts of the typewriter are not shown since they form no part of the invention and may be desirably conventional.

As shown in FIG. 2, the ribbon lifting member 13 is in the form of a pair of spaced apart arms 18 joined at one end by a cross bar 20 and each formed at the other end with a conventional ribbon guide 19. The ribbon lifting member 13 is pivotally supported near the joined end about a pair of screws 21 secured, in axial alignment with each other, to a pair of downturned arms 23 of a bracket or cartridge member 25. To move a cartridge mounted ribbon from the lowered rest position to the elevated printing position, the ribbon lifting member 13 associated with a cloth ribbon cartridge has a depending arm 27 (FIG. 1) which is acted upon by a pin 29 carried by a drive lever 31 which is pivotally supported about a bolt 33 secured in an upturned projection 35 of a plate 37. The lifting member 13 may be urged downwardly to the lowered rest position by suitable resilient biasing means, not shown, which may desirably act against the drive lever 31 in a manner similar to that shown in FIG. 3 which will be discussed below. To move the lifting member 13 to the elevated printing position, the drive lever 31 is pivoted forwardly by a camming lever 43 having one end 45 connected to the drive lever 31 and the other end 47 engaging a surface of a cam 49. The camming lever 43 has a slot 51 receiving a bolt 53 carried by a bracket 55 comprising the movable carriage, as will be discussed below in further detail, and the camming lever 43 is pivoted about the bolt 53 by the rotational movement of the cam 49 which is keyed to for axial movement relative to a drive shaft 57 undergoing a single revolution with each actuation of a type key action.

Although not shown, each of the ribbon spools for a cloth ribbon typically have an axial bore and a pair of spaced flanges for guiding the ribbon as it is being wound or unwound, and the pair of spools may be mounted in the ribbon arrangement 11 between the upper bracket or cartridge member 25 and the lower plate 37 with a pair of spaced-apart spindles 59L, 59R respectively being received through the axial bores of the spools for rotational movement therewith. To advance the cloth ribbon through the ribbon guide 19 by winding it from one spool to the other, the ribbon arrangement 11 includes a pair of corresponding ratchet wheels 61L, 61R which are supported on the plate 37 for rotation with the ribbon spools and are rotatably driven in incremental movements by indexing means, generally indicated 63 in FIG. 3, which undergo an oscillating movement. As shown, the indexing means 63 include a pair of indexing pawls 65L, 65R which are pivotally supported on a rod 67 carried by a bracket 69 and resiliently urged toward engagement with the corresponding ratchet wheels 6lL, 61R respectively by a pair of spring means 71 coiled about the rod 67 and connected to the indexing pawls 65L, 65R and the bracket 69. To enable an oscillatable movement to be imparted to the indexing pawls 65L, 65R, the bracket 69 is pivotally supported on a rod 73 carried by the bracket 55 comprising the carriage, and the bracket 69 has a depending leg 75 which is operatively connected to the cam lever 43 by a bolt 77 so as to pivot the bracket 69 in response to the movement of the cam lever 43. Accordingly, with each actuation of a type key action, the rotational movement of the cam 49 serves to pivot the bracket 69 and drive the indexing pawls 65L, 65R against the ratchet wheels 61L, 61R to advance the ribbon through the ribbon guide 19.

To wind the cloth ribbon from one spool to another spool, the ribbon arrangement 11 includes ribbon reversing means, generally indicated 79 in FIG. 2, for controlling the rotational movement of the ratchet wheels 61 L, 61R by acting on the spring-biased indexing pawls 65L, 65R in a manner similar to that described in copending US application of Herbert Decker Ser. No. 359,130, filed May 10, 1973, for Ribbon Feeding and Reversing Mechanism to which reference may be made for further details. The ribbon reversing means 79 includes a control member 81 pivotally supported on the base plate 37 and having a pair of arms 83L, 83R for positioning and guiding the indexing pawls 65L, 65R respectively for engagement with the corresponding ratchet wheels 61L and 61R. When the control member 81 is pivoted to the position shown in FIG. 2, the indexing pawl L engages the ratchet wheel 61L to wind the ribbon on the associated spool, while the arm 83R guides and holds the indexing pawl 65R withdrawn from the ratchet wheel 61R.

As the ribbon is being wound onto the ribbon spool associated with the ratchet wheel 61L, the ribbon is kept taut by a pair of drag levers 85L, 85R (FIGS. 1 and 2) which are urged against the ribbon wound on the spools and the ribbon is threaded through suitable guide slots 86 in a pair of tension arms 87L, 87R for sensing the tension in the ribbon and which are operable, in a manner to be explained below, to effect a re versal of the winding of the ribbon. As shown, the drag levers 85L, 85R are pivotally supported about a common post 89 and urged against the ribbon spools by a spring 91 stretched between the drag levers 85L, 85R and around the post 89. In accordance with the instant invention as distinguished from the reversing mechanism described in said copending application of Herbert Decker Ser. No. 359,130 wherein the tension arms are pivotally mounted on the lower portion and which act directly on the pawls, the tension arms 87L, 87R herein are pivotally supported on the bracket or cartridge member 25 at a suitable location outwardly of the spool spindles 59R and 59L and have depending tabs 93 for engaging corresponding ribbon reversing levers 95L, 95R which are pivotally supported at suitable locations beneath the base plate 37 for engaging the indexing pawls 65L, 65R respectively so as to move them to a position to operate and shift the control member 81 in the manner disclosed in said Herbert Decker application Ser. No. 359,130.

Thus, when the ribbon becomes fully wound on the ribbon spool associated with the ratchet wheel 61L, the tension sensing arm 87R pivots the reversing lever 95R which moves the indexing pawl 65R to act against the control member 81, thereby pivoting the control member 81 to an alternate position. Upon movement of the control member 81 to the alternate position, the indexing pawl 65L is removed from engagement with the ratchet wheel 61L while the indexing pawl 65R engages the ratchet wheel 61R to reverse the winding of the ribbon onto the associated ribbon spool. Likewise, when the ribbon again becomes fully wound, the other tension arm 87L will effect a similar ribbon reversal for winding the ribbon back onto the other ribbon spool in the manner previously described.

In accordance with the present invention, the abovedescribed ribbon arrangement 11 is formed in separable upper and lower portions, generally indicated 97 and 99 respectively, as more particularly shown in FIG. 2, to facilitate the replacement of cloth ribbon spools at a location remote from the typewriter or to substitute another upper portion or ribbon loaded cartridge, generally indicated 97' in H6. 3, in which carbon ribbon spools are spindle mounted with ribbon threaded through lifting member 13. As shown, the upper portion or cartridge 97 for loading cloth ribbon includes the bracket or cartridge member 25 carrying the ribbon lifting member 13, the tension sensing arms 87L, 87R, and spindles 59L, 59R, and the drag levers 85L, 85R which are received between the flanges of the ribbon spools to hold them on the spindles 59L, 59R when the upper portion 97 is removed from the lower or base portion 99 which carries the other parts of the abovedescribed ribbon arrangement 11. As will be explained below, the parts of the ribbon arrangement 11 carried by the bracket or cartridge member 25 are adapted for operative engagement with the parts mounted on the base plate 37 comprising the lower carriage mounted portion 99 when the upper portion 97 is placed on the lower portion 99, and the upper portion 97 of FIGS. 1 and 2 may be used interchangeably with the upper portion 97' of FIG. 3 without requiring further threading of the ribbons.

As shown, when the upper portion or cloth ribbon cartridge 97 is placed on the lower portion 99, an upstanding pin which is centrally located on the base plate 37 is received through a corresponding opening 103 in the upper bracket or cartridge member 25, and a pair of upstanding bolts 105L, 105R mounted at the opposite ends of the base plate 37 are received in the axial bores 107 of a pair of corresponding bushings 109L, 109R which are secured to the upper bracket or cartridge member 25. The receipt of the pin 101 and bolts 1051,, 105R by the corresponding opening 103 and bushings 10914, 109R serve to align the parts of the upper and lower portions 97, 99 to facilitate their coupling with each other as well as to properly space the upper bracket or cartridge member 25 from the lower base plate 37. When the upper bracket or cartridge member 25 is properly positioned on the base plate 37, the pair of ribbon lifter pivot screws 21 may be tightened against the pivot bolt 33 secured in the upstanding projection 35 of the base plate 37.

As the upper portion or cartridge 97 is placed on the lower portion 99, the ribbon lifting member 13 associated with a cloth ribbon cartridge 97 is coupled to the ribbon lifting drive means 15 by the pin 29 of the drive lever 31 being received in a notch corresponding to notch 111' in the ribbon lifting member 13 associated with a carbon ribbon cartridge 97' formed in the depending coupling arm 27 in a manner similar to that shown in FIG. 3. The spindles 59L, 59R are rotatably supported on the bracket or cartridge member with an offset pin 113 for rotating the spools therewith, and the corresponding ratchet wheels 61L, 61R have central sockets 115 for receiving the end portions 117 of the spindles 59L, 59R to impart a rotational movement thereto. Finally, the depending tabs 93 of the tension arms 87L, 87R engage corresponding upwardly extending tabs 119 of the ribbon reversing levers 95L, 95R.

When it is desired to substitute carbon ribbon for the cloth ribbon, the upper portion 97 may be easily removed from the lower portion 99 and the upper portion 97' of FIG. 3 may be placed on the lower portion 99. The upper portion 97' for the carbon ribbon is generally similar to the upper portion 97 for the cloth ribbon, and accordingly similar reference numerals have been placed on similar parts. Moreover, the upper portion 97 is attached to the lower portion 99 in the same manner as previously described for the upper portion 97.

As shown, when the upper portion 97 is placed on the lower portion 99, the ribbon lifting member 13' is coupled to another ribbon lifting drive means generally indicated 15 providing movements appropriate for a carbon ribbon as previously discussed. The ribbon lifting member 13' has a downwardly depending coupling arm 27' with a notch lll' receiving a coupling pin 29' carried by another drive lever 31' located in spacedapart relation to the drive lever 31. Similarly, the drive lever 31' is pivotally supported about the bolt 33, and the lifting member 13' is normally biased to a lowered rest position by a suitable resilient biasing means in the form of a spring 39' stretched between the drive lever 31' and a suitable downtumed projection 41' of the base plate 37. To move the lifting member 13 to the elevated printing position, the drive lever 31' is pivoted forwardly by another camming lever 43' having one end 45 connected to the drive lever 31' and the other end 47' engaging a surface of another cam 49' keyed to the drive shaft 57. The camming lever 43' is pivoted about a bolt 121 mounted in a bushing 123 which is suitably secured to the rod 73, and with each actuation of a type key action the camming lever 43' is pivoted by the rotational movement of the cam 49'.

The advancement of the carbon ribbon in the ribbon lifting member 13' is effected by a drive mechanism supported in cartridge 97' and operating in response to the movement of the lifting member 13' as described in copending US. application of Hans-Georg Hengelhaupt Ser. No. 350,522 filed Apr. 12, 1973 now U.S. Pat. No. 3,834,5l l to which reference may be made for further details. Accordingly, spindle 59L and another, not shown, for receiving the supply and take-up spools for the carbon ribbon are rotatably supported on the upper bracket 25' but are not operatively associated with the rotatable ratchet wheels 61L, 61R nor the ribbon reversing means 79.

What is claimed is:

1. A ribbon lifting and feed arrangement comprising a base portion for interchangeably mounting a first ribbon loadable cartridge and a second ribbon loadable cartridge, each of said first and second cartridges having a pair of rotatable spindles for supporting supply and take-up ribbon spools and having a ribbon lifter pivotally supported thereon for lifting a length of ribbon threaded therethrough, first and second ribbon lifter drive means for pivoting said ribbon lifters pivotally mounted on said first and second cartridges respectively when one or the other cartridge is mounted on said base portion,

said first and second ribbon lifter drive means including corresponding first and second drive levers pivotally supported on said base portion in spacedapart relation to each other for imparting different driving movements to the ribbon lifters of said first and second cartridges,

said ribbon lifters of said first and second cartridges each having a coupling arm positioned for cooperative engagement with the corresponding first and second drive levers of said first and second ribbon lifter drive means,

said first and second drive levers each carrying a coupling pin for engagement with the coupling arm of the corresponding ribbon lifters of said first and second cartridges, and

said coupling arms of the ribbon lifters of said first and second cartridges each having a slot formed therein for receiving the coupling pin of said corresponding first and second drive levers upon attachment to said base portion.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1, the combination further comprising:

said base portion including a pair of ratchet wheels supported for rotational movement and indexing means driven in an oscillatable movement with each printing operation for rotatably indexing said pair of ratchet wheels, and

said pair of ratchet wheels having central axial openings formed therein for receiving the end portions of said pair of rotatable spindles in said first cartridge upon attachment of said first cartridge to said base portion for imparting incremental rotational movement to ribbon spools carried by said pair of rotatable spindles.

3. An arrangement according to claim 2:

control means on said base portion for enabling said indexing means to rotatably index one of said pair of ratchet wheels for winding ribbon in one direction,

said base portion further including ribbon reversing means for acting on said control means for entridges and said base portion having complimentary means for positioning and securing said cartridges on said base portion. 

1. A ribbon lifting and feed arrangement comprising a base portion for interchangeably mounting a first ribbon loadable cartridge and a second ribbon loadable cartridge, each of said first and second cartridges having a pair of rotatable spindles for supporting supply and take-up ribbon spools and having a ribbon lifter pivotally supported thereon for lifting a length of ribbon threaded therethrough, first and second ribbon lifter drive means for pivoting said ribbon lifters pivotally mounted on said first and second cartridges respectively when one or the other cartridge is mounted on said base portion, said first and second ribbon lifter drive means including corresponding first and second drive levers pivotally supported on said base portion in spaced-apart relation to each other for imparting different driving movements to the ribbon lifters of said first and second cartridges, said ribbon lifters of said first and second cartridges each having a coupling arm positioned for cooperative engagement with the corresponding first and second drive levers of said first and second ribbon lifter drive means, said first and second drive levers each carrying a coupling pin for engagement with the coupling arm of the corresponding ribbon lifters of said first and second cartridges, and said coupling arms of the ribbon lifters of said first and second cartridges each having a slot formed therein for receiving the coupling pin of said corresponding first and second drive levers upon attachment to said base portion.
 2. An arrangement according to claim 1, the combination further comprising: said base portion including a pair of ratchet wheels supported for rotational movement and indexing means driven in an oscillatable movement with each printing operation for rotatably indexing said pair of ratchet wheels, and said pair of ratchet wheels having central axial openings formed therein for receiving the end portions of said pair of rotatable spindles in said first cartridge upon attachment of said first cartridge to said base portion for imparting incremental rotational movement to ribbon spools carried by said pair of rotatable spindles.
 3. An arrangement according to claim 2: control means on said base portion for enabling said indexing means to rotatably index one of said pair of ratchet wheels for winding ribbon in one direction, said base portion further including ribbon reversing means for acting on said control means for enabling said indexing means to rotatably index the other of said pair of ratchet wheels for winding ribbon in an opposite direction, and said first cartridge further including sensing means for sensing ribbon tension and being operable in response to increasing ribbon tension for operating said ribbon reversing means to alternate the indexing of said pair of ratchet wheels to wind the ribbon in an opposite Direction.
 4. An arrangement as recited in claim 1, said cartridges and said base portion having complimentary means for positioning and securing said cartridges on said base portion. 